Every day foster families in Wisconsin make an incredible difference by providing safe and caring homes for children living in foster care. Family foster care and treatment foster care are designed to be temporary placements for children when their parents cannot care for them. Over 5,100 foster homes across the state care for almost 8,000 foster children each year. There is an ongoing need for foster parents, especially those who can care for sibling groups, teenagers and children with disabilities. To become a foster parent or get more information, call 608.297.3124 and ask to speak to a foster care worker.

Kinship Care is a program designed to help support a child who resides outside of his or her own home, either temporarily or for the long term, with the relative (such as an adult brother or sister, a first cousin, a nephew or niece, an uncle or aunt or a grandparent, among others).

The first three years are the most important building blocks of your child’s future. The Birth to 3 Program is a federally-mandated program (Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act—IDEA) to support families of children with delays or disabilities under the age of three. To apply call 608.297.3124

The Family Support Program provides individual services and supports to families that include a child with severe disabilities. The program recognizes that meeting the needs of children who have severe disabilities may place hardships on a family's emotional, physical and financial resources. To apply call 608.397.8850

The Children's Long-Term Support Home and Community-Based Medicaid Waivers (CLTS Waivers) provide a structure within which Medicaid funding is available to support children who are living at home or in the community and who have substantial limitations in multiple daily activities as a result of one or more of the following disabilities: developmental disabilities, severe emotional disturbances, and physical disabilities. Funding can be used to support a range of different services that are identified based on an individual assessment of the child and his or her needs.To apply call 608.397.8850

Click on logo to find out more information about programs for children with physical, mental, or cognitive disabilities.

CompassWisconsin: Threshold is an initiative funded by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services-Bureau of Children's Services.

The Community Response Program works in partnership with families to reach identified goals such as learning new parenting skills, finding housing and community resources. It is a preventive approach to help families with everyday stressors by providing assistance or by connecting families with resources in the community. Call 608.297.3124 for more information. The Community Response Program is funded by the Children's Trust Fund.

Childcaring is dedicated to providing quality child care information, and partnering with parents, care providers, business leaders, and community organizations to make quality care available to Central Wisconsin families.

This unit serves as the entry point for juveniles referred to this agency for delinquent and status offenses, most often by law enforcement and schools. Intake workers screen cases for jurisdiction; complete assessments; make recommendations to the court and monitor Deferred Prosecution Agreements and court orders. Families can be referred to counseling services, parenting classes, mentoring services, and community service projects. For more information please contact 608.297.3124

The purpose of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is to promote and maintain the health and well-being of nutritionally at-risk pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants and children.

WIC provides nutrition education, breastfeeding education and support, supplemental nutritious foods, and referrals to other healthy and nutrition services. For more information call the Health Dept. at 608.297.3135